New Orleans Saints

Report: Colts Tried Trading for Saints Head Coach Sean Payton

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:33 p.m. ET

Fansided, Luke Schultheis/FanSided via Horseshoe Heroes

According to CBS Sports Jason La Canfora, the Indianapolis Colts and team owner Jim Irsay tried trading for the New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton in recent weeks:

“For the second straight offseason there were backchannel communications between the Colts and Saints about a possible trade of Sean Payton, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, though the talks ultimately broke down over draft-pick compensation,” writes La Canfora.

“While neither ownership group was directly involved in the process, the sources said the highest reaches of the clubs were aware of the back-and-forth and that there was mutual interest in completing a deal. The two sides, however, could not agree on the value of the trade. The Saints were seeking more compensation than the Colts were willing to give up, likely asking for at least one pick in the top two rounds, and Colts owner Jim Irsay was not willing to meet that price, the sources said.”

Of course, as La Canfora mentions, it’s not the first time that the Colts have been linked to Payton, as the team was rumored to be interested in him last offseason. However, there are conflicting reports of whether the Colts or Payton’s representation initiated last offseason’s interest.

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) with head coach Sean Payton against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 53 year old offensive minded head coach has compiled a 94-66 (.588) career record in his 10 seasons with the Saints–highlighted by a Super Bowl Championship in 2009 (over the Colts).

However, after three straight 7-9 seasons and star quarterback Drew Brees having just turned 38 years old, it makes sense that Payton could’ve been interested in joining the Colts for a change of scenery–especially with young superstar quarterback Andrew Luck as his newest protege.

While Payton would’ve had to find a legitimate defensive coordinator–as his defenses have struggled recently in New Orleans, his Saints offense ranked 2nd in both total average points per game at 29.3 avg. ppg. and in total average offensive yards per game at 403.8 total avg. ypg this past season respectively.

In fact, Payton’s Saints offenses have ranked in the league’s Top 10 in scoring and Top 5 in total offensive yards per game during 9 of his 10 seasons in New Orleans–showing that he’s consistently coached some of the NFL’s most prolific offenses.

As a former quarterback himself and as a quarterbacks coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys among his other NFL coaching stops, Payton could’ve provided Luck with a coach who’s somewhat of a quarterbacks guru–theoretically helping to take Luck’s game to the next MVP caliber level.

Per La Canfora, the tentative plan would’ve been to have Payton take current Saints scout Jeff Ireland to Indianapolis along with him to serve as the team’s new general manager. Ireland previously served as the Miami Dolphins general manager in such a role from 2008-13.

Oct 25, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton shakes hands after the game with Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano at Lucas Oil Stadium. New Orleans defeats Indianapolis 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

La Canfora also notes that with general manager Ryan Grigson‘s job in jeopardy (and a potential loss of roster control at stake–if nothing else), that Colts chief operating officer, Pete Ward, actually performed the primary negotiations for acquiring Payton.

Obviously, it shows that what Irsay said on Saturday that he was purely just checking with NFL personnel and ex-coaches for consultation was a bit fabricated.

This latest news–along with the Jon Gruden reports indicates that Irsay hasn’t been completely sold on head coach Chuck Pagano going forward. It also demonstrates that he’s looking for a head coach who’s a clear upgrade with a Super Bowl ring–which both Payton and Gruden already have.

That being said, Irsay did issue a vote of confidence on Saturday for Pagano, saying that he would be the Colts head coach for 2017.

Perhaps, that’s because of a lack of proven alternatives, but either way, Pagano remains the Colts head coach right now–although the way this offseason has gone, that could always be subject to change.